With this practical view of matters, she kissed Zoe and hurried to bed.
But Zoe scarcely closed her eyes all night.
Severne did not reach the hotel till past eleven o'clock, and went straight to his own room.
CHAPTER X.
ASHMEAD accompanied Mademoiselle Klosking to her apartment. It was lighted, and the cloth laid for supper under the chandelier, a snow-white Hamburg damask. Ashmead took the winnings out of his pocket, and proudly piled the gold and crumpled notes in one prodigious mass upon the linen, that shone like satin, and made the gold look doubly inviting. Then he drew back and gloated on it. The Klosking, too, stood and eyed the pile of wealth with amazement and a certain reverence. “Let me count it,” said Ashmead. He did so, and it came to four thousand nine hundred and eighty-one pounds, English money. “And to think,” said he, “if you had taken my advice you would not have a penny of this!”
“I'll take your advice now,” said she. “I will never gamble again.”
“Well, take my advice, and lock up the swag before a creature sees it. Homburg is full of thieves.”
She complied, and took away the money in a napkin.
Ashmead called after her to know might he order supper.